Wilco – The Whole Love
The latter eschews much of that melody for a grittier rock and prog sound, and a wider thematic range, lyrically. Linking the two is the band’s universally beloved and critically lauded 2002 opus, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” but, save for Jeff Tweedy’s most devout, wide-eyed followers, few find themselves with an equal appreciation for both albums.…
The Exterminator
Writer/director James Glickenhaus’ (“The Protector,” “Shakedown”) film is a Vietnam Vet-tinged take on Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish.” But you wouldn’t know it from the somewhat grainy opening credits, which play over a country ballad that suggests you’re going to watch Clint Eastwood hang out with an orangutan and punch some rednecks and maybe even bed…
Gazette’s Halloween Parade hitting the streets Oct. 29
Gazette’s Halloween Parade began as the Gazette’s Ghouls Gone Wild Parade in 2007, with almost 20,000 spectators and 64 entries. Last year, the parade boasted more than 55,000 in attendance, with almost 100 entries and more than 2,000 participants and 300 volunteers. Although the March of 1,000 Skeletons was an integral part of the previous…
Beet it
Will Beatty — who raps under the name Beetyman — is quick to point out exactly what he expects from fellow hip-hop artists: Honesty ranks high, and by extension, authenticity. Really, it has to do with speaking about what you know, and much of what Beatty knows has to do with being the underdog. The…
Gum — Make It Sound New
With guidance from Trent Bell and the equipment in his Bell Labs Recording studio, the young group’s debut (they’re all around college-aged or fresh out of school) nicely juxtaposes a certain sonic wisdom against the songwriting of messy, emotive, mid-20s lives. Download the song “Ooo La La” for free. The album swings with John Baber’s…
Kashing in
Tim Kasher writes songs the way any author of good fiction tells a story. After first establishing a base within his own experiences, he exaggerates and embellishes, fabricates and reimagines until a good song manifests. Not always does the character closely resemble the singer, but even those closest to him can’t tell you for certain.…
Bite Size: 9-7-11
SOUNDS FOR PEACE BENEFIT In remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Buddha Mind Monastery will host a benefit concert and dinner on Sept. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Nick Harroz Midwest City Community Center, 200 N. Midwest Blvd. in Midwest City. Activities will include a brief peace…
Fire good!
Mighty Big Fire hasn’t been playing shows all that long, but the group is already bringing down the house. Literally. “We were playing a show at this pizza place and, well, the ceiling fell,” lead singer J.T. Darling said. Added guitarist Chris Feng, “It had been raining all day, and I was just standing in…
Chamber-made
Brightmusic, the city’s shape-shifting classical ensemble with a boundless, dynamic repertoire, starts its new season Monday. The season’s lineup is as varied as one would expect, simultaneously comfortable and challenging. “We’ve done something very different. This year, there will be no sixth concert, but a four-concert festival instead,” said David R. Johnson, Brightmusic president. Each…
A sound shade of Blue
For her, Norman’s Blue Bonnet Bar had real potential as a live music venue. Eight years ago, during her undergrad years at the University of Oklahoma, she told her friends she’d like to work there. They said that she couldn’t: “That’s a rough place.” right Black Canyon at Blue Bonnet “Well, I’m going to try…
Skinnier cocktails
Much of the credit for the trend goes to Bethenny Frankel, the natural foods chef and reality television star who started Skinnygirl Cocktails. The company featured a signature margarita with 100 calories for a 4-ounce serving. The trend was catchy, but very few people drink 4-ounce cocktails. Margaritas tend to come in large tumblers, king-size…
Human network
Despite a 2004 FBI-led sting operation, dubbed “Stormy Nights,” which rescued 23 young people from forced prostitution at truck stops in Oklahoma, sexual slavery is far from eradicated either in Oklahoma or nationwide, said Mark Elam (pictured), executive director of Oklahomans Against the Trafficking of Humans (OATH) and associate pastor at Lifechanger Church in Claremore.…
Prost!
Mike Turek, the owner of Old Germany, 15920 S.E. 29th in Choctaw, will talk as long as you’ll sit and listen about the history of Oktoberfest and the beers that were inspired by the annual event. His family took the chance of a lifetime by packing up and leaving the old country behind to set…
Marathon for the prize
Last week, those nearly 70,000 strong who follow Coyne became privy to the Lips’ latest work, which may prove even more difficult to engage than their infamous 1997 album “Zaireeka,” which requires four separate sets of speakers and a carefully synchronized pressing of as many “play” buttons to experience properly. “Takes a long time to…
‘Pan’ am
After playing Peter Pan an estimated 3,000 times over 20-some-odd years, one could expect Cathy Rigby to feel an ownership of the role. She does, but not to the point where she’ll only eat the brand of peanut butter that bears the character’s name. “I eat any peanut butter I can get,” Rigby said. “I…
Mean girl
Warning: Lisa Lampanelli said her stand-up comedy act is like anal sex: “At first, it’s a little uncomfortable, but with enough liquor and lube, it’s a surefire hit.” See for yourself how it hurts so good when the “Queen of Mean” brings her barbs to FireLake Grand Casino on Friday. An audience favorite of Comedy…
Emmanuel forever
Almost 10 years to the day, Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel still remembers almost every detail of a show he played in Oklahoma City. “Right after 9/11, I came through, and it was one of my first shows of the tour. Everyone was still pretty numb,” Emmanuel said. “I found some poetry about America, and I…
Tall tales
Four renowned storytellers will weave stories of wisdom and woe at the 31st annual Oklahoma City Storytelling Festival. This local September ritual put on by the Arts Council of Oklahoma City has been happening since 1981, and will take place Friday and Saturday in a tent on the council’s campus, 400 W. California. Renowned storytellers…
Cuban crisis
Of the 29 shots that comprise Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s new exhibition of photography by the internationally renowned Michael Eastman, visitors will notice two things: 1. They are stunning. 2. They are stunning. That’s because the photos are both beautiful and big — 7 and half feet tall, to be exact, said Alison Amick,…
Mansion party!
Gov. Mary Fallin will be the first governor to open all the doors in the governor’s mansion, during this year’s Septemberfest, held on the grounds of the home. The governor and her husband will welcome families from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for a variety of free, family-friendly activities, including mansion tours. “This year,…
You’re getting colder
And how should we reward ourselves? Clothes. Lovely clothes that can still stand up to warm weather, but that will help us transition into autumn. I’m so happy, I could weep with joy, but instead, I’ll settle with pulling out my collection of tights and snuggling with them. Retropolitan (1489 E. 15th; 359- 8808) seems…
Asian persuasion
Plated food isn’t always the focus when you enter a restaurant, but at this one, the decorations are sparse and the food is the real draw. The first time I walked into Golden Phoenix, I looked to my left and saw something pretty special: Poultry and pigs that had been roasted were hanging inside a…
Smag 7
Othello’s Italian Restaurant434 Buchanan, Norman 701-4900 If you have a hankering for Italian while in the Norman area, do try Othello’s. The owners of the Edmond Othello’s now own this one, too. There are lots of customercreated dishes on its menu, and its original decor has not changed one bit. One word that sums it…
Peace train
Orhan Osman, executive director of the Oklahoma City branch of the Institute of Interfaith Dialog, said “Abrahamic Faiths Post-9/11” offers an opportunity to evaluate how far faith communities and interfaith dialogue have come as a result of the tragedy. “I believe that good things can come out of evil,” said Osman, who was born in…
Tea school
“It’s a size and quality (difference),” Jennings (pictured) said about loose-leaf versus bag tea. “Loose-leaf is whole leaf … it means it’s the closest to the plant, as far as its size and the process to make that particular tea. In a tea bag — and we’re talking about the older, traditional tea bag —…
CFN Quote of the Week
“Shut your mouth! Learn how to play f**king football, period! Everybody understand that? That’s everybody in this f**king group! Take care of the f**king ball!” —Josh Heupel, co-offensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma, quoted on “Training Days with the Oklahoma Sooners” on ESPN.
The 9/11 Connection
As with previous generation-defining tragedies, many can recite where they were or what they were doing when they heard our country was under attack. The carnage, heroism and sadness of that day still linger in the collective memory of America — an event that defined the beginning of a new stratum in the layers of…
Did you know?
A department newsletter released last week read, “Did you know that Oklahoma ranks 3rd behind Texas and California for the total number of Federally declared disasters?” Take that, New York!
PR BS
—“UCO Attempts To Break World Record For Largest Game of ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’” —“CarLahLah adds a little Ooh Lah Lah so you can accessorize your car as well as you accessorize yourself” —“ABC STUDIOS AND CHOP SHOP/ATLANTIC RECORDS ANNOUNCE NEW ‘GREY’S ANATOMY’ SOUNDTRACK” —“iuy ‘ @ ‘ , ‘ ank” —“New gourmet pesto brimming with…
Did somebody say ‘wine’?
The Paseo Arts District’s newest gallery is the attempt of a married couple to showcase works in a wide variety of media from outstanding statewide talent. Summer Wine Art Gallery, which opened Aug. 24, will host its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For the event, Summer Wine will display…
‘Evolution is dead’
I can remember the poor chicken flopping around on the ground after having lost its head. That gives us a vivid picture of how I see these latter days of evolution dominance being played out. Evolution is dead. It just hasn’t come to realize it yet as it flops around like that headless chicken. The…
Challenge accepted
All we need is one example of an impossibility to prove Kern’s source is false. In Kern’s Bible, we read of the sun and moon standing still as related in Joshua. That means gravity ceased; the laws of physics were negated. Religion provides metaphors for an unschooled era; today’s science describes and measures reality. Kern’s…
‘Conspiracy theory’
Steve Kern (Letters, “The Rev. Steve Kern disputes dino diets,” Aug. 17, Gazette) is a case in point. The “scientists” Kern listens to start with a conclusion — their dogma — and force the evidence to “fit” it. That some dinosaurs are obvious meat eaters makes some creationists go through mental gymnastics. They think of…
Contingency plan
At its regular Aug. 30 meeting, the council narrowly approved a MAPS 3 budget plan that put the $30 million into an infrastructure/contingency fund. The plan was one of three proposals suggested by MAPS 3 consultant Architectural Design Group, which in July first presented to the MAPS 3 convention center subcommittee a plan to remove…
HOOPS! (There it isn’t)
The lockout is partially to blame for Kevin Durant having to film the majority of a new Warner Bros. feature movie in — of all places — Baton Rouge, La., instead of right here in the OKC, according to The Oklahoman. A snag in state film incentives will have Durantula reportedly headed for bayou country.…
CFN Mailbag
In the Aug. 24 Chicken-Fried News called “Tower trouble,” the last sentence refers to the “rest of the loons out there.” I don’t think it is very sensitive of your writer to use this language. If the writer’s mother, sister, or son were mentally challenged, I don’t think such language would have been used. Thank…
Lawnmower man
Or is it? OKC man Phil Ray Gage, 40, told NewsOK.com he’s been mowing at that time for nearly a decade without any complaints from neighbors. In fact, he was just finishing up mowing a neighbor’s lawn when the coppers showed up a few weeks ago. Someone, it seemed, had called in a complaint, and…
Inexplicable nonsense
It was an unguarded moment, and I bluntly replied that no one in their right mind thought that. He continued by telling me that this was, in fact, true and that the entire student body would soon be crossing the street to the Baptist church to be presented with the proof. “No, we won’t,” I…
Midtown mayhem
Planners of the H&8th nighttime food vendor event, held in the parking lot of Elemental Coffee, 815 N. Hudson, had been organizing the event since July, said co-organizer J.D. Merryweather (pictured). Food trucks and a large crowd were present for the event. However, shortly after it started at 8 p.m., several ABLE Commission agents, city…
‘Education as a common good’
The danger in any kind of reform is that change is not an end in itself; it must actually lead somewhere. Therefore, before Oklahomans embark on serious reform of how we educate our children, we need to have an idea of what we want the end product to look like. In order to do that,…
‘Shut up or get out!’
Yet, all I want people to consider is this: Do the Kerns really hate homosexuality so much that they would wish for dinosaurs to replace it? Forget about the Bible or science for a second, and ask yourself as a human being: Does it really matter if we lived with dinosaurs? Do we really have…
Frat House Massacre
It carries a bad taste of misogyny, only cemented by the disc’s documentary, in which the actor playing the piece’s villain tells the interviewer, “Sometimes, ‘no’ means ‘yes.’” Set in 1979, the 2008 film doesn’t reach for visual authenticity the way Ti West’s “The House of the Devil” did. But it has the slasher formula…
51
That movie is “51,” and it rates about a 2. Released under the “After Dark Originals” line on DVD, it takes place at that real-life Air Force base in Nevada, where the rumored Roswell UFOs are supposedly kept. In this flick, there’s no rumor about it. But don’t tell that the reporters, led by Orbit…
Terius Nash – 1977
• Beyoncé, “1 + 1” (critically lauded, album’s certified platinum after topping the Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks) and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (Topped four separate U.S. charts, four times platinum, guaranteed to be played at every wedding until eternity ends)• Mariah Carey, “Touch My Body” (Jack McBrayer-starring video boasts more…
Red Hot Chili Peppers — I’m with You
And it almost didn’t happen. The band went on hiatus after its “Stadium Arcadium” tour wrapped up in 2007. Bassist Flea hit the books, studying music theory at the University of Southern California;, singer Anthony Kiedis was a new father; and drummer Chad Smith began playing with other bands. It looked like the Peppers might…
Captain America
As you know by now, it didn’t. If you managed not to catch it in its long-delayed VHS debut in 1993, the MGM Limited Edition Collection finally has issued the thing on DVD to tag along to interest on this summer’s big-budget, blockbuster “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Why didn’t it come out before now?…
Oklahoma’s ablaze
With winds gusting up to 27 mph, fires continued to break out in northeast Oklahoma City Wednesday, destroying many homes, wildlife and property. Fire and rescue teams including Oklahoma City, Crescent, Coyle, Oak Cliff, Marshall and Sooner battled hot spots and flames near Air Depot and Hefner Road. Click through the slideshow below to see…
Price check
Ever since seeing one of the Philharmonic’s concerts on an MSN.com event listing in June, the marketing director has been on an upward battle to keep what she has called “online scalpers” from overcharging for tickets. Along with the Philharmonic’s other concerts, single tickets for classical-pop band Pink Martini’s performances on March 23 and 24,…
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
Now that said original has been reissued, coattail-ridin’ style, by Warner Archive, I’d alter that response to, “I liked it OK, but I definitely still prefer the original.” With much fewer resources, the 1973 version is far more effective. The person being menaced by the trolls in the walls has always been Sally, but here,…
The Entitled
Tired of being unemployed and living with his parents two years following college, Paul (Kevin Zegers, “Frozen”) feels pushed to a breaking point. When he learns his ill mother can’t afford her $954 prescriptions, and that their house is in foreclosure, he hatches a desperate plot to kidnap the carefree, clubbing, coke-snorting, trust-fund offspring of…
Bad Dreams / Visiting Hours
“Bad Dreams” centers on Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin), the lone survivor of a Jonestown-esque religious cult that ended in a blaze 13 years ago, when its charismatic brainwasher of a leader, Harris (Richard Lynch, “Invasion U.S.A.”), soaked everybody in gasoline a lit a match. She’s spent the entire time since in a coma. Almost immediately upon…
Cobra / Demolition Man / The Specialist / Assassins
Conveniently, Warner Bros. has given four of them their Blu-ray debuts: “Cobra,” “Demolition Man,” “The Specialist” and “Assassins.” Let’s revisit each, in chronological order. There were a lot of expectations riding on “Cobra” when it came out in the summer of 1986, as Sly’s follow-up to his one-two punch of “Rambo: First Blood Part II”…
